PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL: 'Pack cruise, focus on perfection

Great Oak clinches league title; turns attention to 10-0

MURRIETA -- Great Oak's girls basketball team clinched a
Southwestern League crown Friday night, though it wasn't all that
apparent afterward.

Save for a couple of smiles and hugs, things seemed to be
business as usual.

"We're focused on the last two games left," Wolfpack coach
Shannon Maurice said. "We'll worry about that stuff when the
season's over."

Lindsay Sherbert dominated with a 30-point, 11-rebound night as
Great Oak romped past Murrieta Valley, 63-40, and clinched an
outright league championship in authoritative fashion.

The Wolfpack improved to 15-7 overall and 8-0 in league, which
gave them a three-game lead over second-place Chaparral (5-3
league) with two to play.

All that being said, Sherbert, like her coach, pointed to a
higher goal.

"We were saying that on the bench," Sherbert said of the
Southwestern League title. "But -- undefeated -- that's the
goal."

Great Oak certainly looked the part Friday, zoning and trapping
its way to a 15-point halftime lead before racing away from the
Nighthawks (17-7, 4-4) in the third quarter.

Murrieta Valley senior center Aubrey Davis was held to nine
points -- and just two in the first half -- as Great Oak forced
turnovers at midcourt and in the backcourt.

Jasmyn Lecompte led the Nighthawks with 12 points. Great Oak
junior guard Jazmin Zamora was the only other player in double
digits with 12 points.

"There's a reason they're in first place," Murrieta coach Vance
Sather said. "They're undefeated in league and they came out and
showed us why."

The Wolfpack held the Nighthawks to just one first-quarter field
goal before closing the half on a 12-2 run, thanks, in part, to
nine Murrieta Valley turnovers in the second quarter.

Leading 31-16 at halftime, Great Oak got its shooting touch
going in the third quarter. The Wolfpack shot 10-for-16 from the
field in the frame and outscored Murrieta Valley 25-10 to
essentially ice the victory.

Sherbert accounted for 10 of those points and finished the game
with a complete performance. Her 11 field goals encompassed all
parts of her offensive game, with two 3-pointers, several jumpers
and layups from both sides of the basket.

"We're just pushing the ball more and getting some easy layups
off our half-court trap," Sherbert said. "That's been getting us
some easy buckets."